Holden Volt in the outback

Drive takes the Volt on an outback road trip to see if the car can give Holden a new spark.

Holden's (well, it's actually Chevrolet's) answer to climate change and rising petrol prices. Or to put it another way, it's a plug-in hybrid, which means it uses an electric motor as its primary source of motivation, but has a small petrol engine to recharge the batteries on the move when they are empty.

What does it say about me?

That you want to be seen to be doing something for the environment, or you're an early adopter.

What doesn't it say about me?

That you've overcome your range anxiety with electric cars.

Who else is buying it?

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Governments and companies that want to give their image a green boost.

What colours does it come in?

There's only five to choose from – white, black, silver, grey and red. My favourite is "Urban Fresh", which is a very fancy way of saying grey.

If it were a celebrity, who would it be?

Lady Gaga. Promises to revolutionise, but is really just a twist on what we already know.

Why would I buy it?

If you live within an 80km round trip from your office, then you could recoup a sizeable chunk of the $60,000 pricetag by not having to visit a service station during the week. In the seven days I had it, I didn't use one drop of petrol and I drove it every day and only recharged it four times.

It is also capable of doing anything your normal petrol car can do – such as drive from Sydney to Melbourne, which a fully electric vehicle can't do.

Why wouldn't I buy it?

Because you're not going to save any money on fuel for a very long time, because it's so expensive up-front. As with all new technology, it carries a heavy premium that negates the cost savings. And if you're really serious about saving the planet, you should probably ditch petrol altogether and buy a fully electric vehicle.

Will it let me down?

It's still early days but I wouldn't expect a faultless performance from any new technology – especially as it gets old.

Does it cost too much?

Holden likes to emphasise the technology and the level of equipment in the Volt, but no matter which way you look at it, $60,000 for a small car wearing a Holden badge is a lot of money.

Is it safe?

There are eight airbags, a reversing camera, forward collision avoidance, lane departure warning and stability control. There was an early controversy when a couple of cars caught fire after crash tests. The US government investigated and declared it safe.

Will it get me noticed?

There's something about the Volt's looks and whisper-quiet running that does get heads turning.

Any gadgets I can brag about?

If your friends are interested in technology, then the drivetrain is pretty cool. The combination of an electric motor and petrol engine to recharge the batteries may be the best way to convert people from fossil fuels to electric cars over the next decade or so. Some owners in the US have gone a year without using all the fuel in the tank – that's something to brag about.

What's the standard equipment list like?

Pretty lengthy, but you'd expect that given the price tag. There's a seven-inch full colour touchscreen, Bluetooth, satellite navigation, voice control for some functions, cruise-control and leather seats. The stereo is a Bose system that includes a 30GB hard drive, USB input and DVD playback (while the car is stationary).

How's the cabin ambience?

Like a cross between a Holden Cruze and an iPod. There's a load of white plastic on the doors and dashboard to give it a "techy" look. It is hard to get used to at first, and probably not to everyone's taste, but the soft-touch buttons do give the Volt a unique feel.

Is it practical?

It's only a four-seater because the battery pack runs through the centre of the car, and the swooping roofline cuts into headroom, so it's not as practical as the Cruze it's based on. The boot is also small – at 300 litres, its 113 litres smaller than the Cruze – and lacks depth because of the batteries and cables under the floor.

Does it go?

Electric motors give maximum torque at zero rpm so the Volt offers plenty of punch when you step on the accelerator. But it weighs 1721kg, which is roughly the same as a Commodore, and that dulls the performance.

Does it like corners?

Again, its sizeable weight means it doesn't feel as sprightly as a small car.

What about bumps?

For aerodynamic reasons there is a large plastic skirt that runs underneath the front bumper. If you don't notice it before you get it in the car, you'll notice it as soon as you hit a bump in the road because it will scrape. In fact, it will scrape on speed bumps, driveways and even undulations and dips in the road. It's a bit annoying but it doesn't really hurt the car – you might need to buy a new skirt eventually though.

What about service stations?

The batteries give an EV range of between 60-70km depending on how you drive. For most people that will be enough on an average day. One big selling point for the Volt is that it can be recharged on a regular household powerpoint, not a special 15-amp outlet, so you can recharge it anywhere you find a plug. Unless you plan on doing a big trip then you're likely to skip the petrol pump for months.

Would you buy one?

I enjoyed the Volt. It was a nice car to drive and it was fun to see how far you could get on the batteries, knowing you had the petrol engine as a safety net. But I just can't cop the price. I know it's new technology, but it's just so much money for a small car.

What else should I consider?

If you're willing to take the plunge and ditch internal combustion altogether, then the all-electric Nissan Leaf is $46,990 driveaway. If you want a more "traditional" hybrid, you can get a Toyota Prius i-Tech for $45,990. Or if you want a luxury badge, you could consider the Prius-based Lexus CT200h Luxury for $46,990 or Sport Luxury for $57,990.

Alternatively, if you've got $60,000 to spend and want something with a luxury badge that is light on fuel, there's the BMW 320d for $60,990 and Mercedes-Benz 200CDI for $60,100.